SB 9.16.5 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.16.5

व्यभिचारं मुनिर्ज्ञात्वा पत्‍न्या: प्रकुपितोऽब्रवीत् । घ्नतैनां पुत्रका: पापामित्युक्तास्ते न चक्रिरे ॥ ५ ॥

vyabhicāraṁ munir jñātvā

[vyabhichaaram munir jnaatvaa]

patnyāḥ prakupito ’bravīt

[patnyaah prakupito ’braveet]

ghnataināṁ putrakāḥ pāpām

[ghnatainaam putrakaah paapaam]

ity uktās te na cakrire

[ity uktaas te na chakrire]

Word-for-word

vyabhicāram — adultery muniḥ — the great sage Jamadagni jñātvā — could understand patnyāḥ — of his wife prakupitaḥ — he became angry abravīt — he said ghnata — kill enām — her putrakāḥ — my dear sons pāpām — sinful iti uktāḥ — being thus advised te — all the sons na — did not cakrire — carry out his order.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

vyabhicāraṁ munir jñātvā

vyabhicāram

adultery

muniḥ

the great sage Jamadagni

jñātvā

could understand

patnyāḥ prakupito ’bravīt

patnyāḥ

of his wife

prakupitaḥ

he became angry

abravīt

he said

ghnataināṁ putrakāḥ pāpām

ghnata

kill

ity uktās te na cakrire

enām

her

putrakāḥ

my dear sons

pāpām

sinful

iti uktāḥ

being thus advised

all the sons

did not

cakrire

carry out his order.

The great sage Jamadagni understood the adultery in the mind of his wife. Therefore he was very angry and told his sons, “My dear sons, kill this sinful woman!” But the sons did not carry out his order.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

The great sage Jamadagni understood the she had not kept her promise. In anger he told his sons, "O sons! Kill this sinful woman!" But the sons did not carry out his order. Understanding that she had broken her words to bring the water before the sacrifice, he became very angry because he could not complete his daily rites. “O sons! Kill her.” The sons however did not kill her.

Personal Guidance

Jamadagni perceives the inner adultery and orders his sons to kill her. The harshness is shocking, yet the underlying principle is uncompromising — even imagined infidelity is treated as a real spiritual event.

Reflection Questions

Do I treat my own imagined infidelities (to my partner, my guru, my Lord) as actual spiritual events?
Where am I telling myself 'I didn't do anything' while the heart has already done it?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io